Airrows on Air

On a recent personal expedition to Iceland, two seasoned guides, including Natural Habitat Adventures guide and Artist for Air Colby Brokvist, faced unexpected challenges driven by a changing climate and found unexpected joy, as well. 

Hear the full story at tomorrowsair.com/education/podcasts

In this conversation meet Colby Brokvist, an Expedition Leader with Natural Habitat Adventures, Guide Trainer and author of The Professional Guide’s Handbook. 

This conversation is a mix of the pragmatic and the philosophical, and begins with a discussion of risk and challenge and how these concepts intersect with travel and the opportunity before us in helping tackle climate change. As Colby aptly puts it, “you can accept the challenge or not.” It’s easy to see, looking back over Colby’s experiences as a child and in his early career, how his perspective on guiding and climate were forged in the outdoors, from early experiences with his family on their boat, to hiking the Appalachian Trail out of college, Colby reflects on the experience of sharing interpretative information about plants, geology, and wildlife with enthusiasm.  

He has a degree in Environmental Science and is also a certified photography instructor through Lindblad Expeditions / National Geographic. He chairs the board for the Polar Tourism Guides Association and is a certified Senior Polar Guide. 

His book, The Professional Guide’s Handbook  is available on Amazon and you can view more of his photography on Instagram at @colbyoutdoors.

This is a conversation with Martin Romero, General Manager and Partner of Peruvian-based Explorandes, a multi-year recipient of the World Travel Awards, and the first company to operate the Inca Trail trek. A pioneer in adventure travel, they continue to innovate their experiences with sustainability at the forefront.

Martin is a living example of someone who has adapted to any challenge put in front of him. As a Peruvian-American, he has spent time living in both countries as well as in Australia. Martin’s background includes positions in both tech and ecotourism. From working as a mountain biking tour guide in West Virginia to an integral part of Amazon’s team in Seattle, and now back to Peru at his current position at Explorandes, Martin has applied his extensive background in tech to improve the adventure travel experience for all parties involved.

In this conversation we discuss how travel companies can measure, monitor, and analyze data in order to help reduce the carbon footprint from travel. Technology can be used to reduce costs, emissions, waste, and more. We also discuss the evolving landscape of travel in Peru -  from overcoming the terrorist reign of the Shining Path, to the impact of receding glaciers. Martin also gives us a glimpse of the tours available through Explorandes that will make you want to book a trip to Peru.

“You just learn to adapt to whatever’s in front of you.” - Martin

“That’s the important thing about the climate movement in general; this isn’t just about scientists and economists. It has to really be something that people across the country, whatever walk of life they’re coming from and whatever their background, can relate to and feel motivated to get involved.” - Clarence Edwards. 

Don’t miss this conversation with policy advocate and strategist Clarence Edwards. Clarence leads the Friends Committee on National Legislation’s (FCNL) work on sustainable energy and environmental policy. FCNL lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, opportunity, and environmental stewardship. From his roots in Maryland and Virginia to interning for a Senator, to then working on Australian foreign trade, Clarence reveals what it now means to work with a Quakers advocacy group.

In this episode, we look at policy and legislation, specifically focusing on the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.  While this is the first major climate legislation to ever go into law, it's not without its shortcomings and further highlights how this is just the first step in a long road to progress. We discuss how approaching climate change will not be an overnight change nor just one solution, yet the answer lies in a multi-shareholder approach. An approach that must be more attainable, equitable, and inclusive to garner enthusiasm from people of all walks of life. With climate change coming to everyone’s doorstep, we talk about the need to include the workforce of legacy industries, those seeking a mid-career shift, and even the Burning Man community.

We also look at the spiritual element of climate and nature and how the changes are all around us everywhere, every day. Most importantly, we turn to the sense of hope; imagine the possibilities if we all can dream of a better climate future.

Christina Leala Gale — Perspective from the Pacific: A Local Looks at the Connection Between Climate Change and Tourism. 

This is a very special and unique conversation with Christina Leala-Gale who is a Samoan native and is now based in Fiji. Christina is the Manager for Sustainable Tourism Development with the South Pacific Tourism Organization. She works at the regional level focusing on the inclusion of the global sustainable tourism agenda as well as SPTO’s member countries. Christina is passionate about advocating for sustainable development and hopes the Pacific can become the green tourism destination of the future. Christina and I met through the Adventure Travel Trade Association and she continues to open my eyes to the abundant culture within and apart from the tourism industry in the Pacific. In our conversation she highlights a key part of that culture: Pacific Islanders are centered around community and shared prosperity. She gives us a glimpse into how locals feel about tourism, why sustainable tourism is the key to preserving host villages and countries, and the tangible effects of climate change in those countries that are closest to the equator. We also discuss plastics’ impact on climate change, the tourism industry's contribution to plastic waste and conservation, the double-edged sword of cruises, and much more.

This is a very special and unique conversation with Christina Leala-Gale who is a Samoan native and is now based in Fiji. Christina is the Manager for Sustainable Tourism Development with the South Pacific Tourism Organization. She works at the regional level focusing on the inclusion of the global sustainable tourism agenda as well as SPTO’s member countries. Christina is passionate about advocating for sustainable development and hopes the Pacific can become the green tourism destination of the future.

Christina and I met through the Adventure Travel Trade Association and she continues to open my eyes to the abundant culture within and apart from the tourism industry in the Pacific. In our conversation she highlights a key part of that culture: Pacific Islanders are centered around community and shared prosperity. She gives us a glimpse into how locals feel about tourism, why sustainable tourism is the key to preserving host villages and countries, and the tangible effects of climate change in those countries that are closest to the equator. We also discuss plastics’ impact on climate change, the tourism industry's contribution to plastic waste and conservation, the double-edged sword of cruises, and much more.

In this conversation with Philippe Beauchamp, a champion freediver, history professor and polyphonic singer, we find a unique perspective on breath and air. Philippe is the former Vice President and Founder of ApneaCity; the only AIDA freediving school in Montreal. He is also a history professor and father. Philippe had a serendipitous introduction to freediving after many years training in martial arts ended with injuries and surgeries.

I learned so much in my conversation with Philippe and was truly inspired.  Rather than accepting defeat after his series of injuries, he used them as a chance to rebuild. We discuss lessons learned from freediving including discipline, focus, and facing your fears.  His connection to breath and history then led him to the ancient art of polyphonic singing; a truly fascinating and beautiful artform.

It’s amazing to see how Philippe’s natural connection to water and love of history have evolved into conservation work. He’s a genuine example of someone tapping  into the full human experience and using it to protect and educate others, a teacher in every sense of the word.

Listen in on today’s conversation with award winning filmmakers and creatives, Tristan Copley-Smith and Duncan McDowall, who discuss their documentary series “Carbon Catchers.”  Together they’re planning to travel the world learning the stories of maverick entrepreneurs, visionaries, and tech-savvy activists dedicating themselves to climate solutions. The series will tell the “story of a radical cultural phenomenon; a hybrid of activism, entrepreneurialism, and cutting edge science.”

Broadcasting respectively from a barn in Ontario and a cottage in the UK, Duncan and Tristan discuss how they met in a climate action course and combined their artistic talents in hopes to enact change.  Rather than using pessimistic and doomsday messages often associated with climate change, they hope to change the narrative with action-oriented, positive stories from some of the top climate action technologies available.

In our conversation we discuss the relationship between technology and nature; often seen as conflicting forces, their symbiosis is now essential for climate action. Tristan and Duncan talk about the many hats they wear as artists and conservationists, their family lives, their nomadic childhoods, beekeeping, biomimicry, past and future projects, and more.

Mentioned:

Tomorrow’s Air

Tristan Copley Smith

Duncan McDowall

Carbon Catchers

Carbon Catchers on Instagram

MIT Innovators Under 35

Air Miners

Terra.do

Carbon Gap

Soil Association 

Frost Methane

Olya Irzak

I’m so pleased to welcome Dr. Harry Hilser to the podcast today. Harry is the Program Director for Selamatkan Yaki (SY), a conservation program based in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. SY protects the habitat and remaining populations of the Critically Endangered Sulawesi crested black macaque (Macaca nigra), whilst supporting local initiatives, developing alternatives to hunting and capacity building for local communities. He has a Ph.D. in Human Geography primarily focused on connectedness to nature and pro-social and pro-environmental behaviors.

Harry is also the Co-Founder of Lestari Environmental Education Consultancy. Lestari facilitates the transformation of communities and society, working within the social and environmental sciences to combine education and conservation practice with sustainability, behavior change, and principles of nature connection. They collaborate with NGOs, universities, governments and businesses to deliver high-impact projects and implement innovative strategies for change.

I met Harry through a shared passion for Project Vesta; a non-profit promoting accelerated weathering in order to capture carbon absorbed in the world's oceans.

We talk about Harry’s beginnings in the English countryside to a small island working with primates and everything in between.  His human geography and ethnography studies have allowed him to observe how different cultural drivers impact climate change.  We discuss the link between pro-social and pro-environment, the behavioral motivations that drive humans, and how belief systems impact conservation and environmentalism.

Harry also gives his thoughts on what he sees for both the future of climate communications and the shift he’s seeing in climate and sustainability education. Harry’s optimism for systemic change in policy and regulations as they relate to climate change is inspiring.

I am so thrilled to get the chance to sit down with travel and nature writer Chloe Berge. Chloe is a Vancouver-based journalist and writer specializing in travel, culture, conservation, and the outdoors. Her work appears on BBC, National Geographic, The Globe and Mail, Conde Nast Traveler, ELLE Canada, and more. She also lends her marketing and copywriting expertise to numerous clients, creating engaging campaign copy and branded content.

Chloe’s work in conservation was inspired by her travel, yet she’s conscious and aware of the complexities of travel as it pertains to the environment.  With her writing, she hopes to highlight travel that makes conservation issues accessible to people.

We talk about Indigenous-led movements that continue to move the needle for conservation and how the Magpie River may help progress the legal rights of natural entities. Chloe explains what solutions journalism is and how empowering people is more effective than radical approaches. She also talks about rewilding and how it relates to travel, her upcoming plans to visit Botswana and Uganda, an awe-inspiring turned frightening encounter with a mountain gorilla, and more!